Lysacek said he's ready: "I'm feeling really good. From a physical standpoint I'm stronger than I've ever been." Lysacek said he's often in the gym longer than he's on the ice.

"Skating is a brutal sport," he said. "It's about strength, quickness, endurance and timing. It encompasses every element of physical strength."

The quad, especially so.

"It's such a glamorous thing to talk about since it's such a dangerous trick and it's taken our sport to a new level, but a clean program is what skating is about. My focus is on getting that quad in but also doing a clean program and not losing any points along the way."
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Lysacek, who turned 28 Tuesday, is working on his free skate to the music of "Samson and Delilah," the same program he planned for last year but never performed due to the injuries. He's also in the process of picking music for a new short program and will meet with choreographer Lori Nichol early next month.

It's such a glamorous thing to talk about since it's such a dangerous trick and it's taken our sport to a new level, but a clean program is what skating is about. My focus is on getting that quad in but also doing a clean program and not losing any points along the way."

My focus is on (1) getting that quad in, but also (2) doing a clean program, and (3) not losing any points along the way."

Good luck, Evan. That worked out real well for Denis Ten last year.

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Evan stated three areas that he was focusing on: quad, skate clean, not lose points. At 2013 Worlds, Denis did a great job on the first two areas (quad, skate clean); however, when he doubled intended triple jumps, he lost valuable points (area three).

"It's such a glamorous thing to talk about since it's such a dangerous trick and it's taken our sport to a new level, but a clean program is what skating is about. My focus is on getting that quad in but also doing a clean program and not losing any points along the way."

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Maybe it's just semantics, but it seems kind of telling that he refers to the quad as "a dangerous trick" instead of "jump." Seems like he's kind of dismissing the quad as being less important or worthy than other jumps...like it's just a stunt or trick, and therefore less valid somehow.

Maybe it's just semantics, but it seems kind of telling that he refers to the quad as "a dangerous trick" instead of "jump." Seems like he's kind of dismissing the quad as being less important or worthy than others jumps...like it's just a stunt or trick, and therefore less valid somehow.

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I completely disagree. Evan's words seem to indicate how difficult he considers the jump to be. He explains that, as a result of the quad, the sport is at a new level. How does that invalidate the importance of the quad?

Evan always seemed to be of the opinion that a clean, well-executed program with a full complement of jumps (save the quad) and high level elements could be competitive. He proved that at the 2010 Olympics. Now, Evan seems to be acknowledging that the quad has changed the game a bit, but still places importance on what he always has. Can Evan do well without the quad assuming he skates an otherwise flawless program with difficult elements? Who knows, but that seems to be his plan if he can't get a consistent quad.

I can't shake the image that USFS is Charlie Brown and Evan is Lucy holding the football.

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Evan is a name known outside of the skating world due to his Olympic gold medal and appearance on DWTS. He can bring a level of publicity or "glamour" that a relative unknown like Max Aaron or even a veteran like Jeremy Abbott cannot.

Maybe it's just semantics, but it seems kind of telling that he refers to the quad as "a dangerous trick" instead of "jump." Seems like he's kind of dismissing the quad as being less important or worthy than other jumps...like it's just a stunt or trick, and therefore less valid somehow.

Evan stated three areas that he was focusing on: quad, skate clean, not lose points. At 2013 Worlds, Denis did a great job on the first two areas (quad, skate clean); however, when he doubled intended triple jumps, he lost valuable points (area three).

Maybe he thinks it's impossible FOR HIM to be clean with a quad attempt; sounds like consistency of landing it is a problem for him.

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"It's such a glamorous thing to talk about since it's such a dangerous trick and it's taken our sport to a new level, but a clean program is what skating is about."

Who said you can't be clean with a quad? Skaters do it every season! No clean without quad is pretty worthless even if it gets you Gold!! Clean really is nothing. You can be clean with all doubles? So what?

I think that given Chan's dominance in the last years, Evan's lack of competing, Plushy's age and injuries, it will be very hard for either Evan or Plushy to win an Olympic gold or even an Olympic medal of any color.

^^ S&Z came back with a vengence. Plushenko almost did in Vancouver. Why not Lysacek? Afterall, the podium is up for grabs although we can name a handful who may have a better chance of winning any medals.

^^ S&Z came back with a vengence. Plushenko almost did in Vancouver. Why not Lysacek? Afterall, the podium is up for grabs although we can name a handful who may have a better chance of winning any medals.

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Maybe because the men's field is currently much deeper than the pairs field around 2009-2010? All S/Z really had to do in 2010 was to beat Savchenko/Szolkowy to win the OGM. When Savchenko/Szolkowy started falling apart and skating poorly even before the Olympics began and S/Z pretty much won everything leading up to the Olympics, the OGM was basically S/Z's to lose. S/Z as the #1 Chinese pair were guaranteed to beat P/T and Z/Z as long as they skated decently. Other teams like K/S, M/T and D/D had zero chance of beating S/Z. On the other hand, Lysacek at the very least has to beat at least two of Chan, Fernandez, Hanyu and Takahashi in order to have a chance at the podium, and all four of them have displayed a level of skating much higher than Lysacek has ever accomplished.

That said, it's possible that Chan, Fernandez, Hanyu and Takahashi can all bomb and Lysacek can make the podium by skating clean. Even so, with the rule changes after the Vancouver Olympics (which, most notably, increased the value of quads) it's still going to be difficult for Lysacek to beat Chan, Fernandez, Hanyu and Takahashi even if they make mistakes. It's just laughable to compare S/Z's situation in 2010 to Lysacek in Sochi.

I personally thought that Evan was given a gift, had an unusual season for him and scored big. S&Z were more committed to the sport, IMO than Evan seems to be. Plushy is getting older. S&Z left because of injury but started competing as soon as possible, I think that Evan has been playing more than committing more.

^^ S&Z came back with a vengence. Plushenko almost did in Vancouver. Why not Lysacek? Afterall, the podium is up for grabs although we can name a handful who may have a better chance of winning any medals.

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Truthfully, I think S/Z and Plushenko in 2010 were better skaters/competitors than Lysacek is likely to be now. The field is also realistically broader now than it was in 2010 for men/pairs.

The only guy who is guaranteed a medal after a not so clean program is Patrick Chan. Barring any disaster, I'm talking two or three falls per program, he'll win Olympic gold. Who is naive enough to bet against him?

A *clean* Evan Lysacek could possibly take home a medal, only that the same could be said for Fernandez, Takahashi, and Ten. IMO silver and bronze are between those four.

Hanyu is to lethargic and inconsistent at this moment to even enter the picture.

Plushenko's body has given all it could. I don't see him even making it to the Olympics.

In a perfect world Abbott would be contending for a medal, but he won't even make it out of nationals let alone go to the Olympics

Though four reigning U.S. champions will also be at the Oct. 18-20 event, Lysacek is the main attraction everyone is waiting to see.

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Eh, not for me. I am much more excited about seeing skaters like Kozuka, Takahashi, Shibutanis, & Davis & White.

Also, if it's his 11th week back on the ice, that means he would not have started skating again until around mid-March. Was he seriously intimating he'd make Nationals, even with the hernia? I can't remember.

The only guy who is guaranteed a medal after a not so clean program is Patrick Chan. Barring any disaster, I'm talking two or three falls per program, he'll win Olympic gold. Who is naive enough to bet against him?

A *clean* Evan Lysacek could possibly take home a medal, only that the same could be said for Fernandez, Takahashi, and Ten. IMO silver and bronze are between those four.

Hanyu is to lethargic and inconsistent at this moment to even enter the picture.

Plushenko's body has given all it could. I don't see him even making it to the Olympics.

In a perfect world Abbott would be contending for a medal, but he won't even make it out of nationals let alone go to the Olympics

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1. The way Chan is going right now he is far from a lock for OGM. Of the 4 gold medal favorites in the 4 disciplines he is by FAR the least likely to win.

2. Plushenko in Russia and Hanyu are most certainly medal contenders, and have WAY more chance of a medal than Lysacek does at his point.

Eh, not for me. I am much more excited about seeing skaters like Kozuka, Takahashi, Shibutanis, & Davis & White.

Also, if it's his 11th week back on the ice, that means he would not have started skating again until around mid-March. Was he seriously intimating he'd make Nationals, even with the hernia? I can't remember.

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It may be his 11th week back on ice full time, or he may have taken a break and resumed training 11 weeks ago. He was off ice after the November surgery until three weeks before Nationals. Lysacek skated on the Today show on February 6, 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn-qErnY87Q